KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's latest leading index showed the country's economic outlook remains positive, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said Friday.
The leading index, which provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and the direction of the economy in the near term, remained in a positive growth by recording 1.5 percent in October 2024, reaching 111.1 points as compared to 109.5 points in the same month of the previous year, DOSM said in a statement.
The monthly performance of the leading index showed a marginal decline of 0.4 percent as four out of seven components slipped.
Looking at the smoothed long-term trend in October, the leading index began trending below 100 points, suggesting that the Malaysian economy is anticipated to remain growing albeit moderately in the upcoming months of 2025.
Internal factors such as robust domestic demand and a positive labor market trend are expected to support the economic prospects.
Meanwhile, the coincident index, which measures the current economic performance, recorded an annual increase of 1.7 percent, reaching 126.4 points as compared to 124.3 points in the same month of the preceding year.
The coincident index's monthly performance also increased by 0.6 percent in October, after declining by 0.7 percent in the previous month, with increases recorded across all components. ■
